The Penis-Headed Manikin Glyph
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2575366 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael P Clo, Michael P Closs (University of Ottawa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1988 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 804-811 |
| Publication date | 1988-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Antiquity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-7316 • E-ISSN: 2325-5064 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/281120 |
| OpenAlex | W2322289558 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 4 |
One of the most exotic Maya glyphs consists of a seated figure having a head that appears to be a penis. This paper argues that the head is indeed a penis and provides an interpretation and a linguistic decipherment for the glyph. The glyph can be read as xib'ah 'underworld lord' (Cholan) or xib'alb'a 'underworld, underworld lord' (Yucatec). It is an epithet for a major Maya deity who was both god of Venus and Lord of the Underworld. In one case, it is used as a place name for the underworld. The paper also presents a rationale for the unusual graphic form of the glyph based on ethnohistoric documentation
Archaeology · Art · Decipherment · Epithet · Glyph (data visualization) · Head (geology) · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Literature · Maya · Visualization · Archaeological and Geological Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · History · Latin American history and culture · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,03 |
| Citation span | 1996 - 1996 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |